Mental health advance for regional SA

John Hill and Dr Daniel Moser show off new mental health teleconferencing technology

ABC News

Advanced technology means mentally-ill people in country areas can now be assessed and treated locally rather than being transferred to Adelaide.

Video conferencing facilities are being rolled out in 15 regional areas to help psychiatrists reach out to even the most remote communities.

Health Minister John Hill went to Port Lincoln to demonstrate the equipment's picture and sound quality.

"[There is] less pixilation and less delay between what somebody says and does," he said.

State and federal funding of $5 million is providing the latest teleconferencing technology to the regions.

Consultant psychiatrist Dr Daniel Moser says the psychiatry team at Glenside Hospital will be able to diagnose more precisely regardless of the distance.

"We expect improvements in terms of our capacity to pick up visual cues with patients," he said.

That will be particularly important for patients detained under the Mental Health Act, as they must be assessed by a psychiatrist within 24 hours, before a community treatment or detention order is made.

The Health Minister welcomes that improvement.

"Where we don't have this technology, patients are often transferred to Adelaide under sedation and so they're held there so it's obviously pretty distressing for them and their families," he said.

It is expected the new technology will be operating across 15 regional centres within weeks, then rolled out to another 85 sites across SA later.

Mental health professionals also hope to use portable and remote units to deal with patients across the APY Lands.